There was ecstasy and agony for Donegal teams this evening in finals at the All-Ireland Inter-County Championship in dramatic fashion in Clare.
The Donegal women’s team took victory after coming from behind against Cork to win 4-3, while the men’s team lost a gripping, dramatic final against Offaly, 7-6 and it was one that really got away.
The Donegal women’s team won their Championship in thrilling fashion.
A nail-biting final looked to be slipping away from them at Treacy’s Hotel, Ennis when they went 3-2 down against Cork, but the Donegal women hit back to win 4-3.
The winning game was claimed by Catherine Porterm while Bernie Devlin, Amanda McCarron and Angela de Ward also won their games in the final.
Ann Marie Wilson, Marion McDermott and Kate Bonner were also on the Donegal team
They came through the group phase with wins over Limerick and Leitrim while they lost out to Cork.
Donegal defeated Laois in the quarter-final and Kildare in the semi, before their final heroics against Cork.
The Donegal men will look back with pain after brilliantly getting themselves back into a final that was gone from their reach to lead, only to miss out in the decisive moments.
Offaly led 5-2 at one stage in the final with John Flood and Gerald Porter winning games for Donegal.
Anthony Whoriskey and Declan Quinn were beaten while Derek Quinn lost out having had a shot at a nine-dart finish at one stage.
After John Gallagher was pipped, Paddy Boyce brought it back to 5-3, while Charlie Grant and Michael Leech claimed wins to draw it level, 5-5.
They defeated Cork in the semi-final after overcoming Dublin in the last eight, following a round of 16 win over Roscommon. Yesterday, they advanced as the second placed team in the group, going through on 11 points, behind group winners Galway on 15.
They were in determined mood for the final and after battling back from the brink they were 6-5 in the ascendancy when Andrew Gillespie won his game to leave them one win from glory.
Clive Aiken was beaten 3-2 on legs having had 15 attempts to win the game, the final and the title for the Donegal men. Noel O’Donnell was next to the oche, but in a final leg shoot-out and after four missed doubles, he was beaten 3-2 and Donegal narrowly missed out on a 12th All-Ireland crown as Offaly took a 7-6 triumph.
